Life preserver



Aug. 17, 1943. c M. WEINHEIMER 2,326,987

LIFE PREsEhvER Filed May 5, 1943 3 INVENTOR TT RNEYS Patented Aug. 17, 1943 UNITED QFFI CE LmaPREsERvER Carllvf. Vv'emfieimen'Kenmore; N, Y. ApplioatiomMayfi, 1943, Serial No. 425,741

10" Claims.

This. invention relates to litez preserversl and particularly to: a; compact collapsible fonm of life preserv'er' 7 Anobject or"v the invention isstoprevilie-al liie prescrver that. will occupy" a verysmall" space which in use isnormal'ly filled with air under atmospheric pressure; Withmeans whereby such pressure may be increased order to insure complete expansion of the lifepreserver in: order to obtain maximumbnoyancy.

A further object is to provide a self-contairied' life preserver unit wherein all of the operative parts arev permanently attachedto each other, thereby eliminatingthe possibility ofz loss of any part.

With these and other objects irr'v'iew' the vention consists of other novel featnreswhich" will be more fully described in the specification and claims;

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a: verticalsectiona-lview of the: lite preserver collapsed in the; container with the central portions of: thes-leevea-nd spring illustrated diagrammatically;

Fig. 2 istop 'p lan'viewsof: the life preserver fully expandedbut shown inred-tlce'd' size'and with the central portion of the sleeve and spring broken away to indicate that they are of greater length than as illustrated;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan vietvot the lite preserver ready for'use With the can attached to the base of the container;- and,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view-showing a modified form ofmeans for attaching the cap to the base of the container.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 1' designates generally a container made: of metal, plastic or other suitable waterproof material having a cylindrical side wallt2',i. a base 3 and a cover or cap designated generally 4;, Formed adjacent each end the cylind ric'al side Wall'Z are externallythreacled portions Kano: 6. 1 1 1 the term o fthe container andsleevel The 'valrvingumechanism which will peto blo n through valve, therebyfoi ,lig

xerouet tombs-atmosphere; In a a constructions shown; Figs, 1', 2 and 3 the [threaded portlom 5 constitutes an annular flange which extends? beiowthe base: me" 3 -i'sproviclerl mm a: valve closure v7 T whichx may'he nrade' ct leather; rubber, or other: snitah'le material "and" which is lattac'l led to-l base. 3: by anysuitabl'e. adhesive or other means; Carat has a walla witha cated valving aperture". SE'andi" internal ed. annular flange members The: litapreserver plGIJETIlSXdQSl'gflfl d as 55 and: comprises: an elongate" tubular. r ember sleeve whichuis' flexixblaandi waterproof. It may be made ofxsuitabie fabric that has been waterproofied QI' O'fl a semi-rubber compound or synthetia talaaric or mhhen compound, One end of the: sleeverli reattached to the'inner surface of they cylindrical wall! 2 adjacent the base oii the container: t" by an adhesive 011 ct er snitabl'e means; as indicatetiv. at id.) The and. of sleeve k5 is 'atta'ched'to wall'l' B c-f. cap '4 by adhesive or other suitable means as indicat "l at IT, The attachment of the sleeve at teams: he conmlhtearound: the: entire circumference in orderthat there-bane leakage of water or'air to theihterionofthesleeveatthe 1; i tmchmevtuandthe att'a clmient of the o therend or the sleeves t5 tothe" cap at M- shall. likewise provide a waterand air-tight con estion! with the cam withinvtkrewsleeve this located an ezipandihl'e member: l8 having one end hearing against the base S and: the other e1 1i hearing againstthewal-lr li of cap '4 This sp' n member'is of snzflici'entdiameter has a snfcient number 0t: coils so-th'at'itwill force the sleeve 1-5: to expand-toqi-tswl-imit, both lonyitndinally and circumferen-tiaily;

Between the. pointer attachment of sleeve with container l at It and the base 3 or" container there is provided'a conduit 2! an opening, 22- from-t-he atmosphere to tl Mai s provided; with" any c0r iVentio intothe container and sleeve; tl

sti uctien; howeven-heing: such as' 1 emission *orfi-axiirfrom: [the interior of flaipwalve 234s showngqthe valve being fastened to flange 2'4: conduit 2 i thereof; wherehyitzmay in y to admit: air to theconrinit-bnt is nolmal J held closed byzair pressure within the: commit.

Instead of the construction shown it is obvious that sleeve l5 could be attached to base 3 and an extension of conduit 2| provided so as to have an opening leading directly into the interior of sleeve l5.

In Fig. 4 the container l is shown as being provided near its base 3 with an annular detent 25 over which can be napped an annular bead 26 formed on a flange of cap 4. If desired, a bead similar to 26 could be used in place of the threads I on the portion of the flange on the opposite side of wall 8 of the cap, and in such case the cylindrical wall of container I adjacent the open end would be provided with a complemental annular detent similar to that shown at 25. In the construction of Fig. 4 it is apparent that a washer much thinner than that shown at I could be attached externally to base 3.

In the operation of the life preserver Fig. 1 shows the device as it would normally be carried in a coat pocket, fishing kit or other article customarily carried onto a boat. The sleeve I5 and spring l8 have been collapsed or compressed by pressure against cap 4 and rotation of the same in screwing it into a fixed position on container I. It will be noted that the interior of sleeve I5 is open to the atmosphere through aperture 9, thereby permitting the escape of air during such closing operation.

In case of an emergency when it is desired to use the life preserver the cap is unfastened from the container and spring I8 immediately forces the sleeve to fully expand, air entering into the interior of the sleeve through the aperture in the cap. The cap is then brought around to the base of the container andthere screwed on the base, the thread H of the cap engaging the threads 5 on the container side wall adjacent the base, and the washe I closing the aperture 9 and thereby preventing the admission of further air or of any water through the aperture and preventing the escape of air from the interior of the sleeve.

The user of the life preserver may, if desired, blow through the valve 21 and thereby slightly increase the pressure of air within the sleeve and insure that the sleeve will be circumferentially expanded and that thereby the utmost buoyancy will be obtained.

In addition to the cap locking means shown in Figs. 1 and 4, it should be understood that any one of a number of other conventional forms of locking means might be utilized.

It will be understood that the device herein shown and described is merely illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the inventive principles involved and that these principles may be otherwise embodied without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A life preserver comprising a collapsible elongate sleeve of waterproof material, spring means for expanding said sleeve to its full length and diameter, a container for said sleeve, said container having a cylindrical wall provided adjacent each end with cap securing means, a base having a washer externally mounted thereon, and a cap, one end of the sleeve being attached to the interior of the container adjacent the base, and the other end of the sleeve being attached to the interior of the cap, said cap having a wall with a valving aperture opening into said sleeve and a marginal flange provided with securing means thereon for engaging selectively with the securing means on said cylindrical wall, whereby said sleeve may be held in non-operative collapsed condition within the container by securing the cap to the open end of the container or held in expanded operative condition by attaching the cap to the base end of the container, the washer on the base closing the valving aperture in the cap Wall.

2. A life preserver comprising a collapsible elongate sleeve of waterproof material, spring means for expanding said sleeve to its full length and diameter, a container for said sleeve, said container having a cylindrical wall provided adjacent each end with cap securing means, a base having a washer externally mounted thereon, and a cap, one end of the sleeve being attached to the interior of the container adjacent the base, and the other end of the sleeve being attached to the interior of the cap, said cap having a wall with a valving aperture opening into said sleeve and a marginal flange provided with securing means thereon .for engaging selectively with the securing means on said cylindrical wall, whereby said sleeve may be held in non-operative collapsed condition within the container by securing the cap to theopen end of the container or held in expanded operative condition by attaching the cap to the base end of the container, the washer on the base closing the valving aperture in the cap wall, and valving means mounted on the container wall near the base and opening into the sleeve whereby air may be blown into the sleeve to insure the complete expansion thereof.

3. A life preserver comprising a collapsible elongate sleeve of waterproof material, spring means for expanding said sleeve to its full length and diameter, a container for said sleeve, said container having a cylindrical wall provided adjacent each end with cap securing means, a base having a washer externally mounted thereon, and a cap, one end of the sleeve being attached to the interior of the container adjacent the base, and the other end of the sleeve being attached to the interior of the cap, said cap having a Wall with a valving aperture'opening into said sleeve and a marginal flange provided with securing means thereon for engaging selectively with the securing means on said cylindrical wall, whereby said sleeve may be held in non-operative collapsed condition within the container by attaching the cap to the open end of the container or held in expanded operative condition by securing the cap to the base end of the container, the washer on the base closing the valving aperture in the cap wall, and valving means mounted on the container wall near the base and opening into the interior of the container between the base and line of attachment of the sleeve and cylindrical wall, whereby air may be blown into the sleeve to maintain the complete expansion thereof.

4. A life preserver comprising a collapsible elongate sleeve of waterproof material, spring means for expanding said sleeve to its full length and diameter, a container for said sleeve, said container having a cylindrical wall provided adjacent each end with cap securing means, a base having a closure for a cap valving aperture ex ternally mounted thereon, and a removable cap having a Wall with a valving aperture for admitting air to said sleeve and a marginal flange provided with securing means for engaging selectively with the securing means on said cylindrical wall, said sleeve having one end attached to the interior of the container adjacent the base and the other end attached to the interior of the cap and surrounding the valving aperture.

5. A life preserver comprising a collapsible elongate sleeve of waterproof material, coil spring means Within said sleeve for expanding said sleeve to its full length and diameter, a container for said sleeve, said container having a,

cylindrical wall provided adjacent each end with cap securing means, a base having a cap valving closure externally mounted thereon, and a cap having a wall with a valving aperture opening for admitting air to the sleeve and a marginal flange provided with securing means thereon for engaging selectively with the securing means on said cylindrical wall, one end of the sleeve being attached to the interior of the container adjacent the base and the other end of the sleeve being attached to the interior of the cap and surrounding the valving aperture in the cap, and supplemental valving means mounted on the container Wall near the base for admitting air into the sleeve.

6. A life preserver comprising a collapsible elongate sleeve of Waterproof material, a container therefor having side and bottom Walls and a cover element, said cover element being removable to open said container, one end of said sleeve being secured about its edge to the interior face of said cover element and the other end of said sleeve being secured aboutits edge to the interior of said container, valved passage means for admitting air to said sleeve when the same is expanded by Withdrawal from said container by movement of said cover element away from said container, and means on said cover element for securement to an outside wall of said container to form a closed loop for encircling the body of a user.

'7. A life preserver comprising a collapsible elongate sleeve of waterproof material, a container therefor having side and bottom walls and a cover element, said cover element being removable to open said container, one end of said sleeve being secured about its edge to the interior face of said cover element and the other end of said sleeve being secured about its edge to the interior of said container, valved passage means in said cover element for admitting air to said sleeve when the same is expanded by withdrawal from said container by movement of said cover element away from said container, and means on said cover element for securement to an outside wall of said container to form a closed loop for encircling the body of a user.

8. A life preserver comprising a collapsible elongate sleeve of waterproof material, a container therefor having side and bottom walls and a cover element, said cover element being removable to open said container, one end of said sleeve being secured about its edge to the interior face of said cover element and the other end of said sleeve being secured about its edge to the interior of said container, valved passage means in said cover element for admitting air to said sleeve when the same is expanded by withdrawal from said container by movement of said cover element away from said contai er, and means on said cover element for securement to an outside wall of said container to form a closed loop for encircling the body of a user, and a second valved passage means for admitting air through a container wall and into the sleeve.

9. A life preserver comprising a collapsible elongate sleeve of Waterproof material, spring means within the sleeve for normally expanding same, a container for said sleeve having side bottom walls and a cover element, said cover element being removable to open said container, one end of said sleeve being secured about its edge to the interior face of said cover element and the other end of said sleeve being secured about its edge to the interior of said container, valved passage means in said cover element for admitting air to said sleeve when the same is expanded by the spring means upon removal of said cover element from said container, a valving element externally mounted on a container wall, and means on said cover element for securement to the exterior of a Wall of said container over said valving element to close the passage through the cover element and to form a closed loop for encircling the body of a user.

10. A life preserver comprising a collapsible elongate sleeve of waterproof material, spring means within the sleeve for normally expanding the same, a container therefor having side and bottom walls and a cover element, said cover element being removable to open said container, one end of said sleeve being secured about its edge to the interior face of said cover element and the other end or" said sleeve being secured about its edge to the interior of said container, valved passage means in said cover element for admitting air to said sleeve when the same is expanded by the spring means upon removal of said cover element from said container, a valving element externally mounted on a container Wall, and means on said cover element for securement to the wall of said container over said valving element to close the passage through the cover element and to form a closed loop for encircling the body of a user, and a second valved passage means for admitting air through a container wall and into the sleeve.

CARL M. WEINHEIMER. 

